


Church Bells Ringing

by BitterRose13



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Abuse, It's not described but the story does mention it and it's effects, M/M, Self-Indulgent, Songfic, The devil is a bad guy and you know it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25502143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterRose13/pseuds/BitterRose13
Summary: Church bells themed fic with Lyra as 'Jenny' and it goes from there.
Relationships: Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana), Apprentice/The Devil (The Arcana)
Kudos: 8





	Church Bells Ringing

**_“Jenny grew up wild like a blackfoot daisy, out in the shack with a blue tick hound, broke as hell but blessed with beauty, the kind that a rich man can’t turn down.”_ **

Lyra never had much growing up, even with the wealthy neighborhood and such he grew up in, his parents treating him as an afterthought only when he wasn’t making ‘mistakes’. So it was no surprise when, at 18, he was easily swayed by the kind and lavish attention of the man he’d met at his first foray into a club in town.

**_“She caught the eye of an oil man dancing one night in a dime store dress, she had the looks, he had the mansion, you can figure out the rest.”_ **

Lyra should have known it was a bit sketchy how he was so attached to Lyra, the man was a rather wealthy man, family rich from oil, and something about him had a feeling of it, but he was kind and gentle to Lyra in a way he hadn’t experienced before, and seemingly respectful. 

**_“It was all roses dripping in diamonds, sipping on champagne. She was all uptown in a white gown taking his last name.”_ **

So after a few months, Lyra and Devlin married, much to his parents surprised happiness-having thought they’d have to pay someone they approved of to marry their ‘daughter’    
  
**_“Jenny was hosting Junior League parties, and having dinner at the country club, everyone thought they were Ken and Barbie.”_ **

At first, it was lovely, security, pretty clothing and he could wear whatever he wanted, and more friends, people he could connect with, even if they were just as high society as Devlin was, some just as ruthless, but with a touch more morals than the oil man. It was how he met Lucio, again as it were, having met when they were kids, before he’d been sent to military school by his mother.

Devlin was away for business a lot, sometimes even months at a time, but Lyra was never lonely, either with the housekeepers who came daily to help, or with the other high society people who he made friends with. He was, as time went on, often in Lucio’s company. He was honestly more a dork than he let on, but he was shameless at times as well, and after a while, it was clear that they weren’t just hanging out in public, but no one said anything, Devlin wasn’t a man you wanted to be the bearer of bad news to him, so it was a secret that wasn’t a secret.

Everything was wonderful, if slightly amoral. Until Devlin was home fully, having moved his office of business mostly to their state. It was then that his  _ issues  _ came more to light. He would often drink, more often than not, coming home every night drunk.

And he wasn’t a pleasant drunk.

**_“It was all bruises, covered in makeup, dark sunglasses, and that next morning, sitting in the back pew, praying with the baptist”_ **

More often than not, Lyra would have to use makeup to cover the results of the anger, taking to wearing large sunglasses and scarves more.

Lucio was furious, anyone could tell who had seen the pair dancing around each other, but he managed to keep things under wraps, not wanting anything to make things worse for Lyra, but a plan was being hatched that would fix those problems.

It was after a rare, secret rendezvous that Lucio told Lyra his plan. It was a testament to how tired of the treatment he was getting that the younger man only reacted with surprise, not appalled or anything by it.

**_“_ ** **_Jenny slipped something in his Tennessee whiskey no law man was ever gonna find. And how he died is still a mystery, but he hit a woman for the very last time.”_ **

It would never be found, what happened, but it was all over the news. Lyra’s sobbing and mourning picture, ‘supported by friends in the community’ over the tragic loss of his husband from a heart attack that had happened while out at an event.

**_“She could hear those church bells ringing, ringing. Standing there in a black dress singing, singing, Fold your hands and close your eyes. Yeah, it's all gonna be alright, and just listen to the church bells ringing, ringing. Yeah, they're ringing.”_ **

It was no surprise to their little group, when, after a year, Lyra was seeing Lucio officially. Or when, after a ‘whirlwind romance’, according to the papers, they were married.


End file.
